1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone apparatus which enables a telephone call to be made using an abbreviated number. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a telephone apparatus in which a password is related to each abbreviated number in order to prevent the abbreviated number from coming to a third person's knowledge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a conventional apparatus of the type described above, a telephone apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-82560 (1986) has heretofore been known.
In this prior art, when an abbreviated number is input, a control section selects a terminating subscriber's telephone number which has been stored in a telephone number memory section in correspondence with the abbreviated number, and the selected terminating subscriber's telephone number is delivered. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to dial a telephone number consisting of a large number of digits, e.g., 10 digits, and therefore the prior art exhibits superior operability. Further, each abbreviated number is composed of about 2 digits, i.e., `#` and `numeral` (one of the ten numerals, 0 to 9), and therefore is easy to memorize.
The above-described prior art suffers, however, from the problem that, since abbreviated numbers are simple, even a third person can manipulate them and therefore there is a fear of the abbreviated telephone numbers stored in the telephone number memory section readily coming to a third person's knowledge.